Counting the Cost of Elasticity.

Simple living, frugal living, saving, thrift, budget beating, economizing, penny-pinching, stretching resources...

To the great majority, these phrases are synonymous with cutting costs. Yes, but which costs?

Our resources are many, varied and specific to the individual. Money is a dominating one, perilous to ignore. Other resources are material goods, food, our gardens, homes, animals, vehicles, environment, faith, intellectual resources, knowledge, books, people even. The list could go on. But the slippery, unsympathetic resource that is critical to consider is TIME.

Cooking from scratch, a commendable practice, saves money and ensures excellent nutrition for our families, but it takes TIME. How far are you willing to go? Do you buy ready made pizza bases and make your own toppings, or do you make the dough too? How about the cheese? Do you grow the tomatoes used in the sauce? The comparison between take-away pizza delivered to your door and a fully hand made pizza is vast. Factors to consider are monetary cost (obviously), environmental cost - think of the transportation fumes, taste preferences, nutrition, and, now that we are aware of it, TIME. Does the satisfaction of eating homemade pizza warrant the time that it takes to make it from scratch? I cannot answer that question for you. Each and every one of us has different values and needs. Maybe it's near the end of the month and the basic pizza ingredients are in your pantry, but there is no more cash. That situation definitely warrants a home made pizza. Maybe you have been ill for a week and your husband is cooking for the family after a long day at work. That situation may very well warrant a take-away pizza. Which are you going to save, TIME or money?

I am privileged to live on a farm, educating my children from home. TIME is a resource that I have plenty of. So, often when it comes to stretching my resources, the one that is usually spent with more abandon than any other is my TIME.  Not too long ago, we lived at a slightly more frenzied pace in the city. Even then, I often spent my TIME in preference to money.

Saving money often costs time. 

Think of birthdays and holidays. A little girl's party is looming on the horizon. You can throw money at the problem and rush out to the nearest gift store for the latest cute kitty accessory, or  you can invest some love and TIME, and use up some spare yarn in knitting an even cuter beanie that takes a day to make. How are your sewing skills? I have sewn little soft toys for party gifts for children, made manicure kit holders and other nicknacks for Christmas presents. Would you rather give store bought chocolates, or a home made foodie gift like cookies or a jar of relish? For me there is no contest. Just last week I was given a delicious jar of apricot and ginger jam. Every time we taste it, we think of the giver with gratefulness.

Saving money usually costs time.

Sometimes it is the TIME needed to plan ahead that makes all the difference. A romantic evening for two need not cost a fortune, such as dinner out at an expensive restaurant. When pockets are pinched, how about a sunset picnic, a fireside massage, or a moonlit walk. Even babysitting need not cost anything at all. When our children were smaller, we had a once a month sleepover swop with friends of ours. We had their kiddo's for their date night,  and vice versa on our turn. The added bonus was the late, childless sleep-in the following morning. If grandparents or other relatives are nearby and willing, then allow them the precious time with your little ones while you strengthen your marriage.

TIME spent stretching resources, can be satisfying TIME, rewarding TIME, TIME shared with loved ones, rich TIME, creative TIME....

..... tick tock. Count the cost. Use it well.

On My Mind Today... Blankets and Booties

A big little boy is soon to be born to my brother and his wife. He is due to arrive in around 5 weeks. I have, rather ambitiously, started knitting him a blanket. His mommy chose the wool - a delicious denim coloured bamboo/cotton blend. The blanket is knitted on circular needles. It contains 35 squares of different texture in the pattern of my design: cables, stripes, diamonds, lacy bits, but not to lacy for a boy. The squares are not knitted separately. I distinguish between them with bands of garter stitch. It is complicated, yet I enjoy the challenge. My only concern is that the blanket won't be complete in time for the arrival of this long awaited baby boy. You see, I am only just completing the first set of 5 squares. Thirty squares to go.

A hand made gift has love woven into it, and means far more than something that I just bought off the shelf. Every time his mamma wraps him in his blanket, they will know the love that went into making it is wrapping around him too.

The doctor says that he is a really big baby, about two weeks bigger than his gestational age. I have a feeling that the booties I knitted him might just be too tiny.

I am also desperately crocheting two granny stripe blankets. One each for my children. This one will be for my 15 year old daughter who adores all things colourful. My son says that the bright colours hurt his eyes, so his blanket is rather more conservative. I want them to feel my love wrapping around them too as they snuggle under them in the freezing winter here near the Lesotho Highlands. My children see the time and love that goes into each stitch of their blankets. I know that they will value these handmade labours of love.... when I eventually finish them.

Thank you Rhonda for this idea of sharing what it On My Mind today.

Fun Fitness for Free

In a health conscious world of personal trainers, fitness centres and specialized sport, so many of us feel ill equipped and ignorant regarding our own exercise requirements. So we become dependent on the 'experts' to show us how to optimize our fitness. We book ourselves into expensive classes, or waste away the hours transporting our children back and forth to organized sporting activities. Dare I mention the vast sums of cash lying gathering dust in the form of accumulated, unused sports equipment, or flashing for favour out on the field.

What if the budget cannot stretch as far as fitness tuition?

What if instead of providing the stress release that we crave, the sports schedules drive us dilly as we drive our darlings to matches and classes?

What if being indoors in a sweaty gym with sweaty people just doesn't do it for you?

What if the majestic outdoors feeds your soul?

What if you can combine precious time with your little ones, or the love of your life, with time spent getting fit?

What if fitness can be found for free?

I concede that fitness can be a science, but face it, most of us are not top athletes in training. We just want a way to keep trim, healthy and strong. Here are a few of my favourite FREE FUN FITNESS ideas: 

My all time best is to head uphill, snack in a pack, loved ones around me. It could be a simple afternoon tea trip to the top of a local koppie (rocky outcrop in South Africa). How about a hard, butt-busting slog up the highest peak you can find? Mountain air exhilarates me. Nothing beats the view from the top, wherever that top may be.

The scents of mountain plants from childhood hikes are imprinted in my pleasant memory bank. If you want to build up strength in the process, then add a child to your shoulders, or a backpack to your back.

A brisk walk with a friend or loved one is a great way to get that heart pumping and those legs moving, whether it be through a forest, along a sandy shore, or even in the concrete jungle, if you have to.

Oh, and what about your furry best friend? Get that tail wagging with delight as you invest time in your precious pooch, and fix your physique at the same time.

A pair of running shoes is the only real expense for a faster form of fitness. Just take it slowly at first, or the physiotherapy bills will outweigh the benefits of the exercise. That was a hard lesson for me.

 Running at sunrise is my favourite way to greet the day. Now, as soon as my leg injury heals....a bit of too much too fast in my recent past. Running builds fitness quickly and fills your brain with happy hormones.

Remember those dust-covered bicycles in the shed? Make them work for a living. Find a nearby hill and get those legs pumping.

Feel the wind whooshing through your hair as you speed down the other side.

Scratch around in your home. If is is anything like ours, you will be sure to find bats and balls, roller-skates, skateboards or even a skipping rope. Instead of tossing them because they are gathering dust, grab a hubby or child and play with them. The best way to save money and get fit is to USE WHAT YOU HAVE. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from making your equipment work for its worth. Playing with your family builds laughter, fitness and memories. This is true FREE FUN FITNESS.

My senses are thrilled when I exercise in the midst of outdoor beauty, under big skies. My spirit lifts when I deeply breathe in crisp morning air.

 Today we are joining a Fun Walk / Run. Yes, there is a modest entry fee. It is a fundraiser for an orphanage in Lesotho, well worth every cent. I am eagerly anticipating joining with happy friends and family as we all sweat for a cause.

How can you exercise for free today? 

How can you have fun with your family today?

On My Mind

Today I am thinking of apples. The trees are laden. All I need to do is summon willing hands to pick, and then it will be apple juice, apple pie, apple muffins, baked apples...drizzled with honey... filled with raisins...served with homemade cinnamon ice-cream.

Autumn is creeping in with the morning chill. I need to seize the moment and reap the benefits of the harvest before winter steals it all away.

I love this idea of posting what's on my mind. Thank you Rhonda

The Dairy Dance

My children run over to collect a bucket of milk, and the Dairy Dance begins. The sequence of the steps depend on my mood, but the dance is choreographed to use every last drop of the milky goodness. My Elastic Mom philosophy of USE IT, DON'T LOSE IT is all about milking every lost drop from my resources. This time it is literally milking the milk. 

 We are blessed with buckets of creamy unpasteurized, unhomogenized jersey milk. When a fresh bucket arrives, I stand it in the fridge for a few hours to allow the cream to rise to the top. Them I skim off the CREAM to use for butter, whipped cream or ice-cream.

Butter is so easy to make, even without a churn. It took me a year of farm living to even give it a try. Now I wonder why i waited so long.

Here's how I make BUTTER:

1.  Beat the cream in a food processor until it forms tiny yellow globules floating in a whitish fluid, buttermilk.

2. Press the globules together with a wooden spoon, and pour off the buttermilk. A bit of ice in the bowl helps the butter to stay in a lump.

3. Work the butter on a wooden board with a wooden spoon. Press out every last drop of buttermilk which can make it go rancid. Rinse repeatedly under a running cold tap.

4. Add a pinch of salt. Then press into a dish and refrigerate your butter. 

As for the BUTTERMILK, I USE IT within a day. I doesn't keep well. It is delicious in baked goods, such as buttermilk rusks, flapjacks, bread and whatever you like. 

Then there is ice-cream. My generous husband gave me an ice-cream machine for my birthday. 

Here's how I make ICE-CREAM:

1. In the morning - Make an egg custard on the stovetop with milk and/or cream.

2. Stir the cooled custard into some fresh cream along with pureed fruit or your favourite flavouring.

3. Chill the mixture all day.

4. Pour the well chilled mixture into the ice-cream machine, and run it for around half an hour while you are eating dinner. Serve the soft ice-cream immediately and hope there is enough leftover to keep some in the freezer. 

If you don't have an ice-cream machine, then freeze the mixture, beating the crystals down every so often while it is solidifying.

Now that just about completes the the cream part of the dance. If it happens to go sour before I can use it, then it goes into my baking, or into a pasta sauce. I make sure not to LOSE IT.

Next it's the MILK. I use it in white sauce, porridge, puddings, smoothies, and in baking too. But the best of all is when my husband makes me a creamy cuppachino with that morning's milk. Hot and frothy foam, sprinkled with cocoa, floating on delicious espresso... mmmm

I make yoghurt with the milk too. It is also really so easy to make, and I wonder why I found the concept rather daunting. 

Here's how I make YOGHURT:
1. Heat the required amount of milk to just below boiling point.
2. Cool the milk to blood temperature. Test it on your wrist, like a baby's bottle.
3. Pour the warm milk into a clean jar, or jars, over a dollop of live yoghurt, from a previous batch, or from the shops to get you going.
4. Keep the jar warm overnight. I have a small warmer, but you could use an insulated box wrapped in towels, or a thermos flask. I have even heard of using a crock pot on its lowest setting.
5. Chill and serve with honey, fresh fruit, or your flavouring of choice.

Then there's my 'CREAM CHEESE':
1. Simply suspend some yoghurt in  muslin / cheesecloth / hessian / clean tea towel over a bowl.
2. Leave it for a good few hours. The contents of your 'bag' become the 'cream cheese', and the WHEY collects in the bowl underneath.

WHEY is protein-rich  and good for us, and so to USE IT, and not LOSE IT, it goes into soups, breads or sauces.

And those are the basic steps of my dairy dance. It is a dance of thankfulness for food on our table, and happy satisfied tummies and taste buds.

On My Mind Today...

Aren't these booties just gorgeous. So far I have made three pairs. Two babies are on the way. We are waiting with bated breath for THE CALL from my farm friend who is already a few days overdue. The second baby will be my long awaited nephew, due in April. I just love to knit and crochet. As a busy home educating mom, a TIME TAMING TECHNIQUE for me is to work my crafts sitting alongside my studious children. In this way I am available when they need help, and I am rested rather than restless when educating my precious people takes longer than I had hoped. If we have a glut of a harvest to process, I can also often be found chopping and stirring in the kitchen, sharing the kitchen table space with maths or language books as I pickle, process and teach at the same time.

Take a look at Rhonda's blog:  Down to Earth for loads of elastic living inspiration.

Shopping Savvy

There are many more fun things to do in life than grocery shopping.  The art of Savvy Shopping is an easy way to stretch your budget, and is another TIME TAMING TECHNIQUE.

Choose one day a week to shop. Remember, the best way to save money at the shops is to stay away. Once a week is better than once a month because running out of sugar is a minor inconvenience for a day or so at the end of the week. On the other hand, running out of sugar for a week at the end of the month can be rather challenging.

Follow these easy steps to learn the art of Savvy Shopping. 

STEP ONE - all week

Keep a running list of essential items that you run out of. My list is on a pretty wooden memo block in my kitchen. Train your family to write up that peanut butter, borax for the science project, or whatever else they need. If it's on the list I will buy it on Shopping day. If my family forget to write it, I forget to buy it. They remember next time. It has to be empty, or almost finished, to be written up. If we already have two bottles of shampoo and my darling daughter desires a different brand, she will need to develop the art of Delayed Gratification and wait a while before I will buy a new bottle.

STEP TWO - the day before shopping day

Take a quick visual tour of  your bathroom, fridge, pantry, and vegetable patch (if you have one) the day before you shop.  Are you running our of toothpaste? What needs using the most? Look for the oldest things in your fridge and freezer. I mean, not scary potential microscope specimens, but what has been there for the longest time. Do you have a glut of marrows or tomatoes in the garden? Do you have a bit of leftover meat from a BBQ?

STEP THREE - still the day before shopping day

Look at your diary, and your plans for the week. Are you having a date night out where your kids can survive on a simple dinner, like dippy eggs? Is Granny coming to stay for a few nights? Jot down ideas in your diary for breakfast, lunch and supper on each day up until the next shopping day. Remember to plan the first few meals using those urgent items from STEP TWO, and try to plan meals using as much of what is in your freezer / pantry as possible. Remember to plan some meals as LEFTOVER PLAN-OVERS. How about a pasta dish made with diced meat from that BBQ and a tomatoey sauce from that glut in your garden. Jot down special instructions in your diary, like "defrost chicken" the day before you plan to serve it for Sunday roast, or "soak beans" the day before you plan to try out my delicious BUSTING BUTT BAKED BEANS.

STEP FOUR - again the day before shopping day

Add to your list from STEP ONE: any missing ingredients needed for the meals you have planned as well as bathroom or cleaning items that need replenishing. Group similar items together on your list - fruit and veg, meat, dairy, cleaning materials, etc. The goal is to see how few items you can put on your list, and still feed your family well.

STEP FIVE - Shopping Day

Make sure you and your children are well fed. I like to shop after lunch. Grab your trolley, with your list and pen in hand. If your kids are joining you and are big enough, let them push it or run to find items on your list. I prefer to shop while they are doing music lessons. Whizz up and down the aisles grabbing only the items on your list, and cross them off as you toss them in the shopping cart. See how fast you can go. This is the reason for grouping similar items in STEP FOUR. The faster you go, the less you are tempted. Think of it as a replacement aerobic workout, get that heart pumping. Play fast music on your ipod if you're alone. Lifting bags of groceries strengthens those biceps. I have been known to do a few extra lifts when I think no one is watching me.

STEP SIX - Shopping Day

MAKE THE MILEAGE MATTER. Use your shopping day to run errands, fill your car with fuel so that it runs on full instead of empty, visit the post office, pharmacy and the library. In Summer it's best to make shopping the last errand of the day so the ice-cream doesn't melt.

STEP SEVEN - After shopping

Unpack the bags as soon as you walk in the door. Put your feet up alongside your man, if he is home. Enjoy a delicious, refreshing cool-drink or cocktail and take a well deserved rest before tackling dinner.

FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK: 

No thinking is required. Just open your diary each day and cook whatever is on that day's menu. If something else crops up, like your husband surprises you with take-aways, or you are invited out, or it is too hot for the cooked meal you had planned, then be flexible and go with the flow. You can smile sweetly knowing that you have enough meals to cover your week, and now, maybe a few for the following week too.